The Learn and Earn slot machine proposal has undergone some changes as of late, with a competing group dropping Cincinnati from its plans. The group is hoping that if they remove the city it will change the minds of another competing company, Penn National Gaming, Inc., the owners of Toledo’s Raceway Park, to drop a competing proposal that would limit slot machines to the state’s seven racetracks. Penn National draws heavily from the Cincinnati market with their riverboat casino in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Penn National is also known as Education Yes, the backers for the larger proposal Learn and Earn. So far it does not seem to have had any effect on Penn National, and they are continuing to push forward with their proposal to bring slot machines in. 

The group, Learn and Earn, if they receive the needed number of signatures to get slot machines into the racetracks would bring in 3000 slot machines at each of nine sites.  Education Yes, calls for up to 5000 machines at each of seven tracks. The proposal change did however defuse another proposal that was calling for each casino in Cuyahoga County to pay $15 million licensing fee if in four years voters approve gambling tables in addition to the slot machines.  

The new proposal should also alleviate some concerns from Attorney General Jim Petro, for he was concerned about some of the language. The new proposal states that facilities with slot machines can operate 24 hours a day regardless of local rules. Opponents still believe the proposal will not pass.

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